Autoweek Take on Ford 500-Full Review

[BMWDave]

2005 Ford Five Hundred
S(edan)UV: Ford?s newest midsize sedan possesses DNA diversity
AUTOWEEK
Published Date: 5/16/05
LIKES
Roomy greenhouse
Decent ride
Massive trunk

DISLIKES
Underpowered, noisy engine
Dull, conservative body
Rock-hard tires

OTHERS CONSIDERED
Buick LaCrosse
Jaguar S-Type
Volvo S80

Sliding behind the wheel of a Ford Five Hundred, you?re immediately struck by the sedan?s unusually high seating position: It feels like sitting in a sport/utility vehicle, and that is intentional. The Volvo S80 platform underpins the Five Hundred?the same platform shared by both the XC90 SUV and the Freestyle crossover.

Platform sharing is not only de rigueur these days, it?s downright necessary for the prosperity?nay, the very survival?of most automakers. But the practice has morphed into a sort of experiment in gene splicing, with automakers grafting the DNA from one vehicle onto another in an effort to blur the lines between segments; this in response to constantly shifting market demands and with hopes of eking out a few more sales (Automotive DNA, May 9).

Ford says this cross-pollination gives the Five Hundred SUV-like traits?like that high seating position, flexible storage space and available all-wheel drive?yet allows the car to retain a midsize sedan driveability.

Owners and staffers alike had few major complaints with the result, most finding little fault with the Five Hundred?s on-road manners. But once we hit the track (more on that later), we found much of that midsize sedan driveability gives way to the car?s more SUV-like traits.

One owner, a self-proclaimed car and truck enthusiast, wrote, ?We were ready to purchase one of [several] vehicles when we heard Ford was building a new vehicle based on the Volvo S80/XC90 platform.? This owner felt the Five Hundred?s pricing was reasonable, starting around $24,000, and he shelled out just over $30,000 for his loaded model and a six-year extended warranty.

Many owners raved about the Volvo/Haldex all-wheel-drive system, and everyone seemed to like the tall seats (which Ford calls command seating) that provide good ingress and egress, as well as the general spaciousness of the five-seat greenhouse and the 21.2-cubic-foot mega-trunk. Ford says the Five Hundred is about three inches longer than a Taurus and about a foot shorter than the Crown Victoria.



?The more I drive the Five Hundred, the more I like it,? one staffer wrote. ?So it looks like a big Passat, that?s a bad thing? Designs like this will outlast the faddish cars, like the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum. The interior is huge, it?s comfortable for long-distance driving, and it offers fantastic visibility. The Volvo-based chassis is solid, and the ride/handling mix is decent for a car this size and weight.?

Yet for all the nice stuff you?ll hear about the Five Hundred, you won?t get far without the power question coming up.

One staffer thinks the market?which has far from enthusiastically embraced this car?will warm to the Five Hundred when Ford injects it with a more Fusion-like look and adds more horses, though he believes ?the weak spot is the engine, and not because it?s weak, but because it is so lacking in refinement. You [should be able to] work a smooth but underpowered engine hard without it feeling strained (many Nissans come to mind).?

Then there was the track testing.

It didn?t take long before the brakes started to seriously overheat and fade?and that was while simply decelerating from our drag strip tests. In fact, the very first run?s slowdown produced a strong smell of hot brakes, and it quickly worsened.

?Even with cool brakes, distances are horrible, not just for a car, but even for light trucks,? said a tester. Sure enough, the Freestyle we thrashed around the track performed better in stopping from 60 mph, 129 feet, and through the slalom, 42.2 mph (May 2).

We place much of the blame for the Five Hundred?s poor performance on a set of hard-compound tires, Continental TouringContact EcoPlus all-seasons with a treadwear rating of 560 (meaning they should last 5.6 times longer than the government?s reference tire; in other words, they?re hard as rocks and should last a very long time). The Freestyle?s Continentals have a treadwear rating of 360. We think it would behoove Five Hundred owners to upgrade their tires from the standard fare if they are looking for more robust performance.

On the skidpad, where the Five Hundred barely nipped the Freestyle?s lateral grip (of 0.72 g), one tester commented, ?You just crank the wheel way over, and it mushes its way around. The average of 0.73 g is about right for an SUV, but not for a car.?

Maybe it?s that DNA.

OWNERS SAY...

Critics say the Five Hundred is too slow and too boring, but in the real world it is a well-designed car that executes its purpose to near perfection. The interior is as nice as my Mercedes E320, and with its trunk space, the Five Hundred is better than anything in its class. Going down the road the car gives you a real sense of substance and it handles nicely around town. Our Limited came loaded with lots of useful features. I only wish it had bi-xenon headlights and a longer warranty. Okay, an SVT package with a supercharger would be nice, too.
Bob Sims, Tallahassee, Fla.

I needed a car that was easy to get in and out of. Slipping into the Five Hundred is a breeze. I particularly appreciate the higher ride height. All the controls are at my fingertips, the cabin is large and whisper-quiet, it has more legroom than I ever dreamed of, and a trunk that could haul a Mini Cooper. The stereo sounds great and the V6 is more than powerful enough while offering excellent fuel economy. I do wish the steering wheel was electronically adjustable. The door panels could also be more attractive without so much plastic, and the hood should have hydraul?ic lifts instead of an outdated stick to prop it up.
Robert Hinson, Gulfport, Miss.

The exterior styling is probably overly conservative, but buyers in this market will like the Five Hundred. Kudos to the design team for the outstanding interior. The 203 horses are a little low for this size of vehicle, however, the performance is comparable to most other cars in the class. The  handling with all-wheel drive is better than any vehicle I?ve own-ed. Quiet, comfortable and roomy best describe the Five Hundred.
Dell Yeamans, Edgerton, Kan.

I really do like the look of the Five Hundred. It?s quiet, has a huge trunk, and drives down the road confidently. There is tons of interior space for passengers, and I really like the higher command seating. I?m happy to say that since I bought my Five Hundred last year, I can?t find anything wrong with the car.
Joseph Gualco, Warsaw, Mo.

[Laconian]

Do you think a full-size sedan buyer will care about the tires?

The full-size cars I see roaming the streets usually take turns around 1-5mph, well within the handling limits of the 500. :)

[BMWDave]

Do you think a full-size sedan buyer will care about the tires?

The full-size cars I see roaming the streets usually take turns around 1-5mph, well within the handling limits of the 500. :)

They were just commenting on how they tires are bad if you every need to do serious braking, etc.